Boyfriend
by TexanRose
Summary: A series of one-shots that revolve around Aria and Ezra being each other's girlfriend and boyfriend.
1. Boyfriend

Aria Montgomery described her love life in several different ways. I'm unavailable. I'm in a relationship. She had also had introduced Ezra Fitz in a number of different ways. He's my English teacher. He works with my dad. He's my mom's friend. Nobody would have guessed that Mr. Fitz was the person she was involved with. Nobody would have guessed that the very handsome and very single Ezra Fitz was in a relationship with a teenager. She's a former student. She's Byron Montgomery's daughter. But now…now she wasn't his student and he wasn't her teacher.

Aria and Ezra walk into the restaurant with its big windows and open floor plan where everyone could see him. She was sure that the entire population of Rosewood would be speculating about their relationship come morning. She didn't care anymore, and she knew he didn't either. The host led them to the table, and they sat down. Ezra opened his mouth to say something when Mona came up to the table.

"Aria," she gushed, "it's so nice that Mr. Fitz still keeps in contact with you even though you're not his student anymore." Aria smiled tightly as Mona went on about teachers keeping a personal interest in their students and how she wished other teachers were more like Mr. Fitz.

Aria reached for Ezra's hand across the table, her nails digging into his skin, revealing her frustration about the situation. "Mona," Aria interrupted her, "I'd like to introduce you to my boyfriend, Ezra."

Aria had lied. She did care what people thought. She wanted them to know that Ezra wasn't just an ex-teacher or friend of the family. He was her boyfriend. Let them speculate about that.


	2. Girlfriend

**Thanks to everyone who reviwed! I hope you enjoy.**

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><p>Ezra waited outside the lobby of the hotel. He had promised Aria that they would go this reading together. She really liked the author, and, quite honestly, he knew they needed to pursue interests as a couple besides making out in his apartment. This would be their second public outing together. The entire student body as Rosewood High now knew they were a couple, but Ezra had yet to face his former colleagues. He wasn't sure he wanted to. Ezra could hear the clacking and clicking of heeled shoes at they hit pavement. He smiled and looked up to greet…Mrs. Welch?<p>

"Ezra," she exclaimed, "It's so good to see you. I didn't know you were coming to this reading." She smiled warmly.

"Hi," he began, trying to hide his surprise. "Yeah. I really like the author and I'm excited to hear what she has to say." He scratched the top of his head as tried to look over his former colleague's shoulder.

"Really? Oh, I'm so glad I found out. Here I thought I was the only one in Rosewood who had read any of her work. I…is something wrong Ezra?"

"No. No," he responded, reassuring her. "I'm just waiting for someone?"

"Did you bring a date?" asked Mrs. Welch.

"Umm. Actually, yeah, I did. She said she would meet me here."

"Is it anyone I know?"

Ezra fidgeted and stuck his hands in his pockets. "Actually yeah. I think so… She's a little younger than I am…" Ezra fumbled for words trying to come up with an excuse or something to say to diffuse the awkward situation. Apparently Mrs. Welch was the last one to know in the entire city of Rosewood. With Mona spreading all the gossip of his relationship status, he was surprised it hadn't made the front page of the paper. Ezra heard the clicking of heels again. He looked up, hoping that he wouldn't have to finish his sentence.

"Hi," exclaimed Aria as she walked over the pair. "Sorry I'm late."

"Mrs. Welch," began Aria with a tight smile. "How nice to see you here."

"Aria," began Mrs. Welch as she grasped for words. "I was telling Mr. Fitz, excuse me, I was telling Ezra, that I didn't know anybody else from Rosewood had heard of this author led alone read her work." She paused awkwardly.

"Oh," exclaimed Aria. "Ezra and I love her work. I introduced him to it actually." Ezra took one sweaty hand out of his pocket and grabbed hers, intertwining their fingers. Mrs. Welch's eyes widened.

"Gloria," He began. He paused. "This is my girlfriend." He heard a sound in the background. "And there about to start. I guess we'll see you afterwards." He took Aria's hand as they walked toward the front doors.

"Bye Mrs. Welch," called Aria over her shoulder. "See you Monday."

Ezra smiled to himself. He had been wrong. He wanted to tell everyone that Aria Montgomery was his girlfriend and the love of his life. Even Mrs. Welch.

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><p><strong>Does anybody know Mrs. Welch's first name? <strong>


	3. Mother

**Thanks for the reviews! I could keep this up as long as you want. Just let me know.**

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><p>Ella Montgomery sat at her kitchen table and looked at the clock as it slowly ticked on the mantle. Aria would be home any minute now. She had promised that there would be no more secrets between them. Ella sighed and drank the tea she had made for herself. She tried to turn her attention back to her book, but it was no use. She couldn't concentrate.<p>

She gave up and thought instead about what her daughter was doing for the night. Ella knew that Aria was in a relationship, a committed relationship. Ella wanted her daughter to be happy, but she wasn't sure she wanted Aria dating a man who was seven years older than she was. She wasn't sure she wanted her daughter dating a man who used to be her English teacher.

Ella got up from the wooden chair and stretched. She picked up her mug of tea and moved to the living room sofa. She knew she didn't have to wait up for Aria, but she wanted to. She wanted to make sure Aria got home alright. The hand on the clock changed from 10:56 to 10:57. Ella sipped her tea. Byron was already in bed, and Mike was spending the night at Gavin's house tonight. She looked up at the clock again, but the picture in the frame caught her eye. It was Aria's school picture.

Aria was wearing a purple dress for the occasion and a feather in her hair. She looked so happy, Ella realized. When had she grown up? She was almost done with high school. Of course Aria would go to college. Why wouldn't she? Just because her significant other was well past his college years didn't mean that Aria wouldn't continue on with her life and her friends the way she had been. But her daughter wasn't out of high school yet. She wasn't even a legal adult.

Ella looked at the picture even more intently. Was she being a good parent by allowing this relationship to continue? She saw bright lights flash outside the window. They were home. It was 10:58. The one good thing about being aware of this relationship is Ezra never dropped her off past curfew. Of course, Aria was upset she had a curfew in the first place. She argued about it for a while citing that it was unfair to ask Ezra such a thing, but she gave up, realizing that a reminder about the age difference between her and her boyfriend just agitated her parents.

Boyfriend. What an interesting word. It meant something more than friend but something less than husband. Ella furrowed her brow. Of course, these days boyfriend was almost synonymous for husband. It seemed like the young people of the world had given up the institution of marriage in favoring of moving in together. That's where Ella put her foot down. There would be none of that at least not in the foreseeable future. And not in the unforeseeable future either.

Ella heard voices outside on the front porch. She tried to respect the privacy of the young couple, but she really wanted to hear what they had to say to each other. Suddenly, there was silence. Ella tried not to imagine what the two were doing together. She sipped her tea and stared at the picture instead.

The front door opened and Aria came in.

"Mom," she exclaimed upon seeing Ella on the sofa. "I thought you would be in bed by now."

"I thought about it," answered Ella. "But I decided to wait up for you instead. How was your evening?"

"Good. We had dinner and a movie."

"Oh?" asked Ella, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," said Aria plopping herself on the sofa. "Just like everybody else, Mom," she finished with a shake of her head.

"Did you have a good time?"

"Yeah, we did. I'm not going to say it wasn't awkward when we ran into Tyler Sperling at the movie theater with his date."

"Well," said Ella, taking another sip of her tea. "It's what you wanted. We gave you what you asked for."

"More like what I begged for. I know what I want. I love Ezra and I am totally prepared to deal with the consequences."

Mother and daughter stared at each other before Aria asked, "Can I go to my room now? I told Spencer I'd call her when I got home."

"Sure," said Ella. "I'm going to go to bed too. Good night."

"Good night, Mom," called Aria already halfway up the stairs.

Ella stared at her daughter who was something more than a child but something less than an adult. When had she grown up? Moreover, when had she become someone's girlfriend, someone's significant other? When had she involved herself in such a deeply committed relationship? But did it really matter? Ella set her mug down and made her way up the stairs. Maybe she was okay with Ezra Fitz being her daughter's boyfriend. Just maybe.

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><p><strong>Sperling is the guy in season 1 who added nothing but "plegm" to the discussion. <strong>


	4. Father

**I was thinking about doing a series of one-shots, but if anyone has any suggestions on where this should go then please let me know. **

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><p>Byron Montgomery sat at his desk at Hollis College and tried to grade papers. He was doing so unsuccessfully. His mind kept wandering to his teenage daughter and Ezra Fitz. He furrowed his brow as he remembered the night he gave permission for Aria to go see him. He still wasn't sure he had made the right decision, but at least this way, he could keep tabs on where she was. Byron tapped his pen on the desk and stared out the window. Maybe in time Aria would see what kind of a man Ezra was. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. He was getting ready to call it quits and head home for the day. It was nearing five o'clock anyway.<p>

Byron started to clear his desk and stuffed term papers in his briefcase in case he felt like grading them later. He heard something and looked out the open door and saw a flash of long brown hair in the hallway. His thoughts immediately turned back to Ezra and Aria. They really wouldn't be doing anything here would they? Surely Ezra wasn't that stupid.

Byron hurried to lock up his office and head down the hallway. When he reached the second to the last door, he stopped himself as if he could will his body to walk past it. His mind wouldn't let him. He tapped on the open office door before heading inside, uninvited.

"Ezra," he began, "I was thinking that maybe sometime next month we could combine our classes and…oh. Sorry. I didn't realize you were here, Aria."

Byron looked at his daughter to where she sat on his desk, legs crossed and covered in a skirt that was too short in his opinion. Ezra looked uncomfortable, like a deer in the headlights. He suddenly got up from his desk chair.

"Byron," he said quickly. "Aria and I were just talking about what we're going to do on Saturday night."

Aria just looked at her dad intently. "Yeah. Ezra and I were thinking about heading into the city and eating dinner at that Italian place you took me to that one time."

"But if you don't want us to, we don't have to," added Ezra quickly. Byron hid a smile. He could still make the man nervous. Good.

"Well, I wanted to talk to you about our classes, but if you're busy we can talk later. Aria I'll see you at home?" Aria nodded. "Good. I expect to see you there in time for dinner." Byron looked at Ezra. "You're welcome to come too, Ezra."

"Thank you, Mr. Montgomery." Ezra looked at Aria who was quietly nodding her head. "I'll be there."

"All right, then. Well, I'll see you two later then." Byron walked out the door, leaving the couple to work out the details of whatever was going on.

As he headed to his car, Byron thought about the awkward situation between Ezra Fitz and himself. Ezra was a colleague, but he was also something more. He was his daughter's…boyfriend? Byron sighed. According to Aria, Ezra Fitz was more than just her boyfriend; he was the love of her life. Well, he'd see about that. He still wasn't comfortable about the whole thing. He couldn't imagine Ezra Fitz becoming his son-in-law. He could imagine Ezra as his colleague and maybe just maybe he could see the younger man as the nice guy his daughter was seeing. His daughter's boyfriend.


	5. Scandal

Spencer Hastings walked the halls of Rosewood High, ready to head home and call it a day. The afternoon sunlight streamed beautifully through the windows, and Spencer was itching to go outside and enjoy the last few hours of daylight. After she had gathered her school books and shut her locker, she walked outside to the parking lot. As she headed to her car, a familiar silver Camry caught her attention.

She perked up and looked at the people inside. Aria had just gotten into the car and was kissing Ezra full on the mouth in front of everyone as if to say he's mine. Spencer smiled and watched them for a moment. It was common knowledge at Rosewood High that Aria Montgomery and Ezra Fitz were having a thing. Mona had made sure everybody knew about it. Aria had taken it all in stride and ignored the comments and whispers. She hadn't even batted an eyelash.

Good for her, thought Spencer. She put her books and purse on the passenger's seat of her car, remembering when the truth had come out. The teachers and students had been shocked by the news, and more than one person had speculated about when exactly the relationship had started. Ella Montgomery refused to comment on the matter. She had told her students and colleagues that her daughter was a capable young woman who could make her own decisions.

Spencer took one last glance at the couple. Ezra laughed at something Aria said as they drove away. They were in a relationship. Ezra Fitz was Aria Montgomery's boyfriend. Aria Montgomery was Ezra Fitz's girlfriend. Big deal. The people of Rosewood needed to get over themselves.

She pulled out of the parking lot thinking that Ezra needed to pick Aria up from school more often. Spencer smiled at the thought of her friend. People who loved each other that much deserved to be with each other. If the people of Rosewood thought that was scandalous, well, then maybe Rosewood needed more scandal.


	6. Happy

**Thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate them. If you have any characters that you want one-shots of, please let me know. **

**I do not own PLL or any of its characters. **

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><p>Mike Montgomery was amazed that his parents were letting Aria see Fitz. It wasn't that make didn't like the guy. He was okay. It was just…after everything that had happened after Iceland he was surprised. That's all. He wasn't going to say that he was comfortable with the guy sitting across from him at the dinner table. It was going to take a while to get used to Fitz being around the house.<p>

Mike sat in his room messing around on the internet, listening to music blast from his headphones. His parents were watching a movie downstairs. Aria was in her room with Fitz. Again, Mike couldn't believe that his parents were letting Aria's boyfriend in her bedroom. Mike snickered. Better her bedroom where they could keep an eye on her rather than Fitz's apartment.

Mike heard a loud noise over his headphones. He took them off and listened. Aria was laughing. Mike smiled to himself. He hadn't seen Aria this happy since, well since ever. He listened to the couple talk for a few moments. He didn't feel bad. After all the crap he had gotten at school about Aria and Fitz, he deserved a little something in return.

Fitz laughed. What were they talking about? Books probably. He rolled his eyes. Those two were such nerds. Maybe that's why they liked each other. He put one earbud in. He fidgeted with the computer. Walked around his room. He could hear Aria giggling. What was going on in there?

Mike walked out of his room and down the hall, towards the bathroom. He stopped outside Aria's door and listened to the couple for a few seconds.

"You'd better not tell anybody you saw that," threatened Aria with a teasing laugh.

"Why? You don't want everyone to know that you still sleep with your baby blanket?" asked Fitz innocently.

Mike smiled. This was only the second time Fitz had been in Aria's room. That he knew of anyway. They sounded like they were having fun, and enjoying each other.

"Mike?" called Aria as he passed by.

"Yeah?" he said coming into the room. Aria was sitting cross-legged on the bed, and Fitz was sprawled on her desk chair. Fitz looked like he wanted to say something but then held back.

"What are Mom and Dad doing?"

"Watching a movie downstairs, I think." Mike scratched the top of his head. "Why?"

"Just wondering."

"'Kay. Leaving now." Mike headed back to his room. He could hear whispers and giggling as he left his sister's room. Maybe he was comfortable with Fitz dating his sister, being his sister's boyfriend. He made her happy.


	7. Saint

**Thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate them. bite-me-im-irish this one's for you. Enjoy!**

**I do not own PLL or any of its characters. **

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><p>Hardy Hale sat at the bar and nursed his beer. He was supposed to have met Ezra twenty minutes ago. At the clock ticked from 5:48 to 5: 49, he wondered what was keeping his friend. Hardy fiddled with the beer bottle and looked at his watch. All the while, he was thinking about what had happened to Ezra in the last year.<p>

Ezra was now a professor at Hollis. Professor Fitz. Hardy laughed to himself. He couldn't think of his friend as one of those stiff-lipped men. Seriously, the guy laughed in his sleep and didn't mind getting paid in burritos. Hardy hoped that none of Ezra's students would be falling for him. Not again. He could barely get over the shock of what happened last time with that teenager. Aria, he scolded himself, her name is Aria. Aria Montgomery was it? Ezra had really dug himself a hole on that one. Hardy wasn't sure this relationship was such a good idea. So her parents approved. Fine. No one was pressing charges. That was good. But she had still been his student and she was still in high school.

Hardy thought about when Ezra was engaged to Jackie. They had been ready to get married. _Married_. If Ezra was so in love with Aria would he marry her? The girl was only seventeen. She wasn't ready for marriage. She wasn't even legal. Hardy sighed and thought about his own fiancée. He couldn't imagine waiting years before he could even pop the question. Ezra had the patience of a saint if that was the case. Hardy took another swig of his beer.

Suddenly the man in question walked through the doors and waved at his friend.

"Ezra," called Hardy. "The girlfriend keeping you chained up at home?"

"No," said Ezra with an apologetic shake of his head. "Her father caught me on the way out the door of the office, and I couldn't just leave. I mean, he is a colleague." Ezra looked away for a moment to order his beer.

"Wait, man," stopped Hardy, "Is her father Professor Montgomery?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Seriously, Ezra? I had that man for History of the 20th Century junior year. Everybody was afraid of him. And you're dating his daughter?"

"Really, he was the one you complained about all fall semester?"

"Yeah, and you're dating his daughter." Hardy shook his head. "You're crazier than I thought."

Ezra laughed. "Her father and I are on better terms now. Better than at the beginning at least."

"You mean better than when he found out that his daughter's boyfriend was her 23 year-old English teacher?"

"Something like that. I hope that one day he'll stop seeing our age difference every time he looks at us together."

"Well a man can dream," said Hardy taking a sip of his beer. "Maybe when you two are in your seventies he won't be so worried about the age difference."

Ezra laughed. "Well I'm prepared to wait as long as it takes. How about you? How's the fiancée doing?"

Hardy told him about their plans for a June wedding. The entire time he was thinking that if Ezra Fitz was prepared to wait years for the girl, then he was a saint.


	8. Change

**This is in honor of episode 2x21. I hope you enjoy! And please review!**

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><p>Ella POV<p>

Ella Montgomery looked at her daughter's bedroom. It was immaculately clean and filled with books and eclectic pieces of art. Different colored clothes hung in the closet and pieces of jewelry were laid across the dresser. The shiny wood of the floor complimented the yellow tones of the walls. It was warm and held wonderful memories. In a word, it was very much Aria. Ella smiled to herself.

Her daughter would be graduating from high school soon, and soon this would be her daughter's room no longer. She sighed wistfully. Where had the time gone? Just yesterday, Aria had been learning to read and today she was writing short stories and maybe even a book for all Ella knew. Aria's life was changing and consequently hers was too.

Ella walked over to the bed and sat on the edge, hugging one of Aria's pillows close to her chest. She breathed deeply. It even smelled like Aria. Ella spent a moment staring at the wall, thinking about what was to happen next.

In a few months, Aria would graduate from Rosewood High and in all likelihood go to Hollis where she would get her degree and graduate, and if her current relationship was any indication, she would marry soon after if not before she graduated from college. Ella let tears fill her eyes. She was too young to be a mother-in-law or, heaven forbid, grandmother! But Aria was old enough to make her own decisions and live by those consequences. Even now, Ella knew that Aria had a hard time walking around town holding the hand of the man who had been her English teacher without being stared at. But that had been Aria's decision to make. She was the one who had to endure the gossip, and staring, and even outright lies. She sighed.

Maybe even, at some point, Aria would move in with Ezra. Would she allow that? Ella cocked her head to one side. She supposed so. What could she do? She refused to lose her daughter over her relationship. She just couldn't. She would accept whatever change was coming because that was life. It was what she needed to do. Ella only breathed into the pillow more deeply.

Byron POV

Byron Montgomery walked past his daughter's bedroom, and heard muffled sounds inside the door. He knew that Aria wasn't home, so he peeked in and was not unsurprised to find Ella sitting on his daughter's bed clutching her pillow. She was staring at the wall. Byron knew that look, Ella was thinking hard about something.

Byron leaned against the door quietly, leaving with her thoughts. He observed the room and the mid-afternoon light that streamed through the windows. This was not a little girl's room anymore, he thought sadly to himself.

"What do you think will happen after?" Ella asked him, startling Byron out of his thoughts.

"After?" he questioned, unsure of where she was headed with this.

"After she graduates."

"She'll go to college, get an English degree, and see the world," Byron responded, sure of himself.

"What if she doesn't?" prompted Ella.

"What do you mean 'what if she doesn't'? She'll explore and write and be Aria." Byron said.

"But what if she gets married or has kids or something else happens?" asked Ella, furrowing her brow.

"We expect her to, eventually, right?" Byron looked uncertainly at his wife.

"Yes, but what if she comes home and tells us she wants to get married? Or move in with her boyfriend? What happens to her life then?" Ella asked.

Byron sighed, and he couldn't believe the words that were going to come out of his mouth. "It's her life. She has to make her own decisions. I've tried to make them for her, and it hasn't worked well. I just want her to be happy."

"Happy, yes," Ella nodded her head emphatically. "We want her to be happy…but what if Ezra makes her happy?" Ella looked at him.

Byron shifted uncomfortably, feeling very much put on the spot. "She's eighteen years old. He's twenty-four. If she decides to marry Ezra or move in with him or whatever, as long as it's legal, then that's her decision and his. Change, is inevitable, Ella. It took me a long time to learn that."

She gave him a week smile. "Who knew that a year ago, you would actually be supporting Aria's relationship with her ex-English teacher?"

Byron rolled his eyes. "Don't remind me. I took _a lot_ of convincing; I'm still being convinced. But the way he looks at her..." Byron paused.

"Yes?" Ella prompted.

"The way he looks at her…it's the way I look at you." He finished softly.

Ella smiled at him, and wiped her tears away. She put the pillow back on its place on the bed, and walked toward him. She kissed him, and then said "I need to go make dinner," leaving Byron alone in their daughter's room.

Byron walked around the room, touching this and that until he got to Aria's second grade picture. He held up the photo in the tiny picture frame and smiled back at the little girl that was smiling at him. Aria was eighteen years old, but she would always be his little girl.

He heard the front door downstairs being slammed shut and Aria calling, "Mom, Dad, I'm home. Is it okay if Ezra stays for dinner?"

Byron took one last glance at his daughter's bedroom. He wanted her happy and he wanted her safe, and something told him that Ezra Fitz might just be the man to make her both. Change was coming, and it might not be easy, but it was necessary, and it might even be good.


	9. If

**I'm uploading several one-shots at a time. Enjoy! Thank you for the encouraging review, they're wonderful. **

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><p>Aria Montgomery sat at the kitchen table doing her English homework while her mother stood at the counter peeling potatoes for dinner. Aria smiled to herself. It had been a long time since she had sat at the kitchen table to do her homework, since before Iceland. But it was comfortable. It just felt right and normal. Ella hummed to herself, and Aria looked at her before looking down to the work her mother had assigned in class that day.<p>

"Mom," began Aria tentatively.

"Yes?" asked Ella, looking up from her tedious work.

"What if," Aria stopped herself. "Never mind."

"Go on, honey," prompted Ella as she began to chop the potatoes.

"Well," Aria began again. "What if Ezra had never been my English teacher. What if he had just been the guy I had met at the bar that one time?"

"What do you mean?" asked Ella as she looked at her daughter.

Aria sighed. "I mean what if I had met Ezra, we hit it off, and I brought him home to meet you, and we had dated publicly." She swallowed. "Would you have liked him then?"

Ella put down her cutting knife and went to sit by her daughter at the table. "I've always liked Ezra. I just lost my faith in him for a little while."

"Yeah," said Aria slowly. "But that's the point. You lost faith in him. What if that had never happened because he had never been your colleague or Dad's? What you have liked him for me as my…?" Aria let her sentence hang.

"As your boyfriend," finished Ella for her daughter. She was quiet for a moment.

"Mom?" Aria prompted.

"I think maybe I would have approved of your relationship, if," Ella paused for a moment, "if you were older. He is almost eight years older than you are. Maybe if you had been twenty-five and he had been thirty-two I wouldn't be so bothered by your age difference."

Aria looked at her mother carefully. "Does it bother you now?"

Ella began to say something and closed her mouth and then opened it again. "Yes, but…" Aria opened her mouth to argue. "Let me finish," reprimanded Ella. Aria shut her mouth. "The age difference bothers me, but only because there's so much for you to see before you settle down. I'm afraid of what you might miss out on."

"I'll see everything I was meant to see. I'll just see it with Ezra." Aria said confidently.

Ella smiled a little sadly. "I hope so, honey." Mother and daughter looked at each other a moment. "I'll approve of you seeing Ezra as long as you want," began Ella, "as long as you promise me one thing."

"What's that?" asked Aria.

"No lies. I can deal with the fact that you're seeing an older man and that he works with your father, and that he's your boyfriend, but I will not tolerate being lied to by the both of you. I will not go through that again. Do you understand?" Ella looked at her daughter carefully in the eye.

"Understood," said Aria with a nod of her head. Suddenly Aria's phone buzzed on the table. She picked it up and read a text message.

"It's Ezra," she told her mother.

"What does he want?"

"He wants to know if I want to have dinner, but I can stay home," Aria finished quickly.

"No," said Ella walking back to the counter and her potato chopping. "You go and have fun."

Aria smiled. "Thanks, Mom." She picked up her schoolbooks and dashed to her room to drop them off and pick up her purse.

"But don't get home too late. It's still a school night." Ella called after her daughter. Aria smiled from her spot on the stairs. Maybe in some alternate reality life would have been easier, different, but sometimes this reality was better than any she would have made up for herself.


	10. Life

Aria walked around the faculty party. It was being held in some art gallery, and professors and other Hollis faculty members walked around and talked to each other about academia. Pretty boring stuff. Aria sighed. She was there because Ezra had asked her to come, and she had wanted to show him that she could fit into this part of his world even when it didn't seem likely.

Aria walked around the room and looked at some of the art. She stopped in front of a painting of a woman with sad brown eyes and stared, feeling acutely alone. Ezra was off talking to the head of his department, a Professor Thomas whom she had been introduced to earlier. She had been introduced to other people too, a Professor Mahan and Dean Matson and their wives.

Aria walked to the next painting, a cubist one, stealing some shrimp on a toothpick from a waiter's tray in the process. She glanced out of the side of her eye. Now Ezra was in a huddle with some professors talking about the satellite school in New Orleans. The group included her dad. Aria swallowed. This whole situation was only made more awkward by the fact that her parents were also guests of the party. She swiped some cheese from another tray. Hopefully, her mother wouldn't see how out of place she felt.

Aria walked across the room to blue and green landscape and took another piece of shrimp. She fidgeted uncomfortably. What would these people think when they found she was a high school student? Aria devoutly prayed that would never happen. The consequences of that would be too embarrassing to consider. Aria walked around for a bit to shake off the feeling of inadequacy.

She found herself back at the painting of the brown-eyed woman. Something about it just called to her, and she stared at it intently for a few minutes.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" said a voice next to her.

Aria looked next to her to find a short lady with shoulder-length silver hair standing there. "Yes," said Aria. "There's something about her eyes. They're sad, but they're something else too."

"Quite," said the lady. "I know the artist. She's known for her ambiguity."

"That explains a lot," replied Aria.

"It does," nodded the lady. "Dr. Mary Cook," said the woman, extending her hand.

"Aria," said Aria, shaking Dr. Cook's hand.

"What else do you think is in the girl's eyes?" questioned Dr. Cook.

"I'm not sure. She look's sad, but also happy. It's almost like some tragedy has occurred but also something beautiful has happened or is happening or will happen."

"Perhaps," said Dr. Cook. "But that is life, isn't it? It's sad and tragic but wonderful and beautiful at the same time."

"I guess so," responded Aria.

"Do you work at Hollis?" asked Dr. Cook.

Aria was silent, unsure how to answer for a moment. "I'm still in school," she said.

"Ah. I love school. I've never really left," said Dr. Cook.

"Neither has my boyfriend," responded Aria with a laugh. "He graduated from college only to go back to high school to teach and then go back to Hollis to become a professor."

"Who's your boyfriend?" asked Dr. Cook inquisitively.

"He's," Aria paused, looking across the room, "look there he comes now."

"Ezra Fitz," said Dr. Cook when Ezra stood next to Aria. "I was just getting acquainted with your girlfriend."

"Good evening Dr. Cook," said Ezra with a smile.

"Yes, yes," responded the woman with a wave of her hand. She leaned her head forward conspiratorially. "Listen to me, young man," she said, pointing her finger. "You hold on to her, and don't let her go. She's a keeper." Dr. Cook turned to go. "It was nice meeting you Aria."

"It was nice meeting you too, Dr. Cook," said Aria with a smile as the older woman walked away.

Ezra looked at her. His mouth was hanging open. "She likes you," he said in awe.

"Yes?" shrugged Aria.

"That was Mary Cook, one of the art professors. She doesn't like anyone. I'm not even sure she likes her own children."

"Oh," said Aria. "I'm sure you're just exaggerating."

"No I'm not." Ezra insisted. "Anyway," he continued. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, just a second," said Aria. She looked to the plaque next to the painting of the brown-eyed woman. _A View of Life_ by Mary Cook. Aria smiled. Maybe she could grow to appreciate the people Ezra worked with and even like some of them. Maybe she wasn't really as out of place as she felt.


	11. Birthday

**I hope you like it , but I must admit this is not my favorite. Enjoy! **

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><p>Ezra POV<p>

Ezra Fitz looked at his girlfriend of over a year and smiled when he saw a smile light up her face. Today was her eighteenth birthday. It was a big day for the both of them. It was a Saturday, so she had had birthday brunch with her family, dinner with her friends, and now she was having dessert with him. She looked so happy. Seeing her smile made him smile in return.

She took a big bite of red velvet cake, her favorite, before telling him what she had done that day. Her mom had made blueberry pancakes, Hanna, Emily, and Spencer had taken her to the Grille for dinner and now she was eating birthday cake with Ezra. He had offered to take her out or postpone the celebration so she could spend time with her friends, but she had declined claiming that she had wanted to be alone with him.

"Ezra?"

"Yes?" he replied, never taking his eyes off her.

"You have frosting on the side of your mouth." He wiped the right side of his mouth absently, and she laughed. "No, the other side. Here, let me get it for you." Aria leaned forward and very deliberately kissed him on the left side of his mouth. "Hmm," she moaned teasingly, "cream cheese icing. My favorite." She started to move back, but Ezra caught her lips and pulled her back towards him for a kiss, cake forgotten on the coffee table. After a while the kiss became an all-out make-out session, and Ezra let himself enjoy it for a little while before pulling back.

"Did you have a nice day?" he asked quietly. Aria nodded vigorously. "Good." Ezra got up for a moment, and pulled something out from under his bed. It was wrapped up beautifully with a large bow and bright green wrapping paper. "Happy Birthday," he said handing it to her.

Aria marveled at it for a moment before asking, "Who helped you wrap it?"

He grinned sheepishly. "Spencer. I had to swear her to secrecy."

Aria slid off the large bow and carefully unwrapped the paper. It was a book which she had known by the weight and feel of the package, but she didn't expect what kind of book it was. It was a bound leather journal filled with writing she recognized as Ezra's boyish scrawl. She flipped the cover open, silently. Inside it said:

_I love you. I always will…_

_Ezra _

She flipped the page, and the very first thing written was _B-26_. It was full of poems, his poems, that he had written about her, to her. Aria's eyes filled with tears, and Ezra looked at her nervously from his spot on the couch. She furiously wiped them away with the back of her hand with no avail.

"Do you like it?" he asked uncertainly.

"Like it?" she buried her head in his shirt. "It's beautiful. No one's ever done anything like that for me before." Ezra smiled softly and wrapped his arms around her, holding her for several minutes. Suddenly Aria picked her head up and gave Ezra very full, very passionate kiss on the mouth, catching him by surprise. He groaned in pleasure, and she stopped for a moment.

"Today is my eighteenth birthday."

"Yes?" Ezra raised an eyebrow.

"My parents gift to me was that I no longer have a curfew," Aria went on, "and when I left the house, my mom said what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her."

"Really?" he said skeptically.

"Yup," said Aria as she grazed his earlobe with her teeth. He shivered in pleasure. "And it is a Saturday night, and there is no school tomorrow, and I'm legal…" she kissed him again. "Do I need to keep coming up with reasons?"

"Are you sure?" Ezra asked, looking her in the eye.

"Absolutely." They stared at each other for a moment. Then, he leaned in to kiss her in a passionate moment that seemed to never end.

Aria POV

Aria woke up the next morning, sun streaming through the window on the far side of the apartment. She heard groaning next to her and looked down on the bed where she saw her boyfriend shift in his sleep. She smile and then quietly got up and searched for her clothes that were strewn all over the place. She got dressed and sent her mom a text that she had spent the night at a friend's house. It wasn't technically a lie. She snuck out of the apartment before taking one last look at Ezra asleep on the bed.

When she came back almost an hour later, he was up and had thrown on a pair of pajama bottoms and a t-shirt. He was half-awake and was groggily making coffee in the kitchen area.

"Good morning," she said brightly when she saw him.

"Good morning," he mumbled back groggily. He took a sip of coffee. "I thought you had left."

"I did," she responded, putting a plastic bag on the counter. "I went to go get breakfast." She pecked him on the cheek.

"Hmm," he smelled, going through the bag. "Fresh muffins." He took a bite out of one while Aria busied herself in the kitchen. They were quiet for a few moments, comfortable with each other, but at the same time, tension was rising. Neither of them was talking about the elephant in the room. Ezra could no longer stand it.

"Aria," began Ezra, talking her hands in his."Do you regret what happened last night?"

Aria was shocked. "How can you say that? Do_ you _regret what happened?"

"No," said Ezra carefully. "It was one of the best nights of my life."

"Mine too," responded Aria quietly. She held his head in her hands. "I love you, Ezra. I always will." She kissed him, and he responded in kind. They spent the rest of the morning wrapped in each other's arms.


	12. Dinner

The dinner table was quiet at the Montgomery household. The five people eating together were eyeing each other cautiously, not opening their mouths for fear of saying something wrong. Plates were passed and glasses were clinked together. Tension kept on rising until Ella could no longer stand it.

"So, Mike," she said, taking a bite of salad. "How was school today?"

Mike shrugged as he took a bite of green beans. "Okay, I guess. Mr. Webb was as boring as ever in Math."

"What about you, Aria?" asked her father between a mouthful of potatoes. "What happened in school today?"

"Nothing special," responded Aria. "My English teacher assigned a paper." She gave a teasing glance to her mother, but at the same time she knew she had said something wrong. She could tell by the look on her father's face. Ezra coughed into his napkin.

"This salmon is great, Ella," said Ezra.

"Thank you. It's one of Byron's favorites," she responded politely. Too politely. Silverware scraped against china. The adults were taking large gulps of their wine.

"So, Mom," began Aria, "I was thinking we could go to the movies together this weekend. There's a film festival going on at that old theater on Main Street. Clark Gable," she added.

Ella finished chewing a piece of salmon before answering. "Don't you two have plans this weekend?"

"That doesn't mean I don't want to spend some time with you too." Ella was silent. Ezra cleared his throat.

Mike pushed back his chair. "I'm done. I'm gonna go. I told Gavin I'd play some ball with him tonight."

"Be safe, honey," responded Ella before Byron could protest. Mike quickly put his dishes in the sink before running out the door, afraid his parents would change their minds.

Silence reigned once again.

"So, Ezra," began Aria once again. "Didn't you say your mom is coming into town this weekend?"

Ezra nodded. "She's coming in Thursday night," he said carefully, taking a sip of whine. Normally, he didn't drink alcohol in front of Aria's parents. He didn't want to remind them of how old he was, but tonight had been an exception. It was his first dinner with the Montgomery family as Aria's boyfriend.

"Oh?" said Ella, cocking her head to one side. "She's coming to visit you?"

"Actually," Ezra began, "she wants to meet Aria."

"Really?" asked Byron, as he set his silverware down on the table. "And how long has she known about you two?"

Ezra squirmed. "Dad," warned Aria.

"Actually, she found out after you did. Around the time that I decided not to take the job in New Orleans."

"So no one else knew?" asked Byron. He was about as calm as snake waiting to strike.

"No," responded Aria quickly, too quickly.

"Byron," warned Ella as she put her hand on his arm.

"What?" he asked. "All I'm trying to figure out is why they didn't tell us sooner. Why did they tell us?" he looked at the young couple. "Or were you just going to let us find out from our neighbors when they asked us about my daughter and her English teacher?"

"Byron," started Ezra. He had had enough. "I know we didn't do this the right way, but I'm trying to fix that. _We're_ trying to fix that." He grasped Aria's hand from under the table.

"Dad," cut in Aria. "Whether you're ready to accept it or not Ezra's a big part of my life, and I'm a part of his."

"Byron," warned Ella again before he could say anything. The whole table fell silent, and they picked at the leftovers on their plate. Ezra finished his glass of wine.

"Help me clean up," Ella told her daughter, and Aria did as she was bid. Byron and Ezra went to go sit in the living room.

"So," said Byron, pouring himself some scotch. "You're a part of Aria's life."

"Yes," said Ezra stiffly.

"Hmm," Byron took a sip of his scotch.

"I know we didn't do this right way," repeated Ezra, "And I'm trying to make up for it."

"And this is you making up for it." Byron finished the thought.

"Yes."

"Don't you do anything to hurt her," said Byron looking at the women in his family as they cleaned up the dining room. "Understood?"

"Understood," responded Ezra, and the two men stared at the women they loved in amiable silence.


	13. Prom

**I appreciate the reviews so much! Thank you! If you have any ideas for one shots please let me know. I'd be more than happy to try to write them. I can keep on going with these chapters forever...**

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><p>Aria Montgomery tiptoed inside the apartment quietly, holding her high-heeled shoes in<p>

her hands. She should have known that Ezra would have waited up for her. He was sprawled all over the sofa reading. She smiled at the scene before he looked up at her.

"How was prom?" he asked. She came to sit beside him, and he sat up to give her some room.

She shrugged. "It was prom." She drew her knees up to her chin, and Ezra set his book down on the coffee table. They stared at each other for a moment.

"Someone spiked the punch," she began. "Hanna became so tipsy Caleb had to carry her off the dance floor. By the time Mrs. Welch caught wind of it, Hanna wasn't the only one who couldn't walk in a straight line." Ezra snickered. "Mona won prom queen. Noel won prom king. Everybody saw that one coming." She paused. "Like I said, it was prom."

"You had fun?" asked Ezra.

"Yeah, I did."

"Good. I don't want you missing out on things because you're with me."

Aria moved toward him on the couch and took both her hands in his. "Being with you was the best thing that ever happened to me. I won't ever regret that." She leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek. "Mind if I change into something more comfortable?" She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively and he laughed.

She got up from the sofa, got a few things from the drawer, and went into the bathroom to change. As she slid off the silk purple dress, she threw on a pair of Ezra's boxers and an old Hollis sweatshirt. She breathed in. His clothes even smelled like him.

Aria would have loved for her boyfriend to have been her prom date, but she knew that such a situation would have been awkward and uncomfortable at best. The student (and teacher) population at Rosewood High knew that Ezra Fitz and Aria Montgomery were involved in some kind of relationship. However, she knew that such a relationship shouldn't be shoved in their faces. She sighed. She had made her choices, and she didn't regret them.

She turned the light off in the bathroom as she left and left her dress hanging on a hook on the back of the door. She went over to Ezra, who was waiting for her, snuggled up comfortably in his arms and sighed in content. He kissed the top of her head.

"Are you spending the night?" he asked.

"My parents don't expect me home until tomorrow. It's prom night. They'll just assume that I went to Hanna's for the after party and spent the night there. What they don't know won't hurt them."

"Well, ignorance is bliss," agreed Ezra. He tipped her head up to kiss her on the mouth.

"This is how I wanted to end my night," Aria told him. "In your arms." She kissed him this time. He smiled, and they sat there comfortably, but for how long neither of them could say. They were too busy enjoying each other's company.


	14. Puzzle

**I finally got an idea for a Mrs. Welch one-shot. In my mind, she really doesn't know what to believe about the Ezria relationship. I appreciate the reviews. They're awesome! Also if you have any ideas or maybe you can challenge me by giving me a word and telling me to write a one-shot revolving around that word (like love or music or something random like bank or park or Hollis).**

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><p>Gloria Welch sat at the Rosewood High faculty meeting and stared at the back of Ella Montgomery's head. She hadn't talked to Ella in days, and ever since she had found out about…you know, she had a hard time being around that woman. What kind of mother let her daughter's English teacher take advantage of her? Gloria shuddered.<p>

Mr. Taylor coughed next to her breaking her train of thought. She glanced at him and then back to Ella's hair. Really! She had thought so well of Ezra Fitz too. Gloria shook her head. If that was the kind of person he was then it was a good thing he was gone from Rosewood High and all its underage girls.

Gloria doodled in her notepad while the principal went on about tardy policies. What about Aria? She looked back to Ella's head. Mike Montgomery was in her class, and he had never breathed a word to her about it or to anyone. But then again, the boy had problems of his own. Severe depression if the gossip could be trusted. But the gossip also said that Ezra Fitz had been giving grades to Aria while he was her teacher, and as badly as she thought of him now, she wasn't ready to believe he was that kind of person.

Gloria turned back to her notepad. The principal was starting to talk about the school's parking arrangements. Students had been parking in the teacher parking lot. Gloria looked at the clock on the wall as it ticked from 4:44 to 4:45. She glanced at Alan Taylor and then looked back at Ella's head.

Ella's hair looked so much like her daughter's. The same dark brown. Where did Aria fit into all this? Someone on campus had said that she really believed she had a genuine relationship with a man more than seven years her senior, a college graduate while she was still in high school. She must be borderline delusional. But still, there was a nagging feeling in the back of Gloria's head.

Something didn't make sense. There was the way Aria looked when Gloria had mentioned Ezra at the end of that play. And the way Ezra looked at Aria when he said she was his girlfriend. Maybe they really did have a genuine relationship. Gloria pushed the thought away. Surely that wasn't the case! If only Ella Montgomery would comment on what was going on. That would give Gloria some peace of mind. She also knew that wasn't going to happen.

Gloria went back into her mind searching for moments when she Ezra and Aria together at Rosewood. At the time she hadn't thought anything of it when she caught them in the classroom alone or when they were working the booth during the homecoming dance. But now that she thought about it, there was something almost intimate about their moments together. At least at one time, Gloria felt like she was intruding on the two young people. Then she had dismissed the thought, but now, maybe she had been intruding. Those moments seemed personal even when they looked like almost every student-teacher relationship she had ever seen. Something tingled in the back of her head. She could almost feel like she was missing a piece of the puzzle. What was it?

There were two possibilities. Either Ezra Fitz was a sick man or it was a legitimate relationship. The romantic in her said it was real, but the teacher in her was disgusted by Ezra Fitz. As the principal called the meeting to a close, Gloria shook her head and gathered up her things. Whether the Montgomery family was falling apart at the seams or Ezra Fitz was not who she thought he was, was really none of her business and she knew it. But that didn't mean she didn't want to find out. Maybe one day she would know, but she would find out even if she had to wait to a wedding announcement for Ezra Fitz and Aria Montgomery or a notice that Ezra had gone to jail. Either way she was willing to wait. She just had to know.


	15. Apartment

**Here's one based on the word apartment. I know it's incredibly short, but this is the way I saw it in my head. As always, thank you for the reviews!**

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><p>Aria Montgomery put the key in the door and walked into Ezra's apartment, a duffle bag in one hand and a purse in the other. She stared at the small space for a moment. It was homey and warm. Sun shined through the windows, and there were lingering smells of Ezra's morning coffee. She smiled to herself. The place could only be described as Ezra.<p>

She shut the door behind her and sat her purse on the coffee table before going over to the dresser on the side of the bed, dragging along her duffle bad. She opened the middle drawer. It was empty. She knew that Ezra has cleared it out earlier for this specific purpose. She carefully unzipped the duffle bag and starting filling the drawer with its items. The bag was full of her clothes.

She folded and put away a pair of sweatpants, a couple t-shirts, one from Rosewood High and another from Hollis, a pair of jeans, and a couple of shirts as well as a few pairs of underwear. Then she pulled the last few items out of the bag and carried them into the bathroom. The first item, a bright pink box filled with tampons, she stuck out of view behind the toilet. The second item, an extra toothbrush, she put next to Ezra's on the vanity.

Aria sighed and looked at herself in the mirror. Ezra had given her a key to the apartment several months ago. Both of them no longer saw the need for her to continue using the one under the mat now that her parents knew about their relationship. And although he had given her a key, Aria never felt as if the apartment were hers. She was rarely there when Ezra wasn't which is why she had wanted to come alone today, when she knew Ezra would be teaching a class. It made what she had done seem more justified.

Aria walked out of the bathroom and into the main part of the apartment, basking in its feel. When she had walked in a few minutes ago, the apartment had been Ezra's, but now, now that she had made some claim to it, the 3B didn't just belong to Ezra. Now the apartment was hers too. Her name might not be on the lease, and she might not pay rent, but she knew better.


	16. Love

**Here's another one shot based on a word that was given to me. Xonessienichole this one's for you, I hope you like it. If anybody has any random words (like computer or sun or school) that they would like me to revolve a one-shot around please let me know. I really enjoy the challenge. Thank you for the reviews.**

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><p>Ezra Fitz sat at his desk and graded papers. He leaned back in his seat and read an exceptionally well written essay. After giving it an A, he looked at the name at the top of the page he saw the name Jon Rai. Ezra smiled to himself. Jon was the student who had once told him that he if he was bold mighty forces would come to his aid. If he only knew how those words had saved his professor's current relationship.<p>

Ezra took a break from grading papers and thought about his girlfriend. She was beautiful and smart and funny. He looked at the picture he had of her on his desk. Aria Montgomery was like no woman Ezra had known before. God, how he loved that woman.

As Ezra sat their staring at the picture, he knew that the storm was not over. They had been through a lot to be together, and if a relationship could survive the lying, telling her parents, the forbidden student-teacher romance, the separation, and an age difference without him going to jail or her being sent to boarding school in England, then they could handle anything else that was to come. Of that he was absolutely certain.

He knew that some problems were just beginning. The picture itself had been a problem. Byron Montgomery had not been a happy when he saw the frame on the edge of his desk. Ella Montgomery was worried they would lie to her again. Ezra furrowed his brow. Who knew what Mike Montgomery thought of him these days. Ezra sighed, and picked up another paper to grade, but he couldn't concentrate.

Both he and Aria also had issues to deal with. Ezra still flinched every time she grabbed his hand in public, and he had definitely not been comfortable when he told Gloria Welch who his girlfriend was. He wasn't ashamed of Aria, but he had to admit he was worried about what other people would think especially how they thought of her. Ezra wasn't worried about himself. Aria also had problems. She tried so hard to fit into his world knowing that she didn't seem to belong. He remembered how uncomfortable she was at that faculty party. But she had made an effort. She had gotten Dr. Cook to like her, and in all honesty that was quite the accomplishment.

He shook his head trying to clear his thoughts. They were both trying. He was attempting to be more open about their relationship, and Aria was dealing with the fact that their situation looked odd to anyone outside of their circle. But he was willing to do whatever it took. Because he loved her, and that's what you did when you loved someone.

Ezra's phone buzzed beside him startling him out of his thoughts. It was a text message from Aria.

_Making pasta with my mom, but maybe we can meet up after dinner at the apartment?_

Ezra responded, and then decided to leave the office for the day. He wasn't going to get anymore papers graded anyway. He turned off the lights and shut his door thinking to himself that life was good. He had an apartment he liked, a job he enjoyed, and most importantly, a woman he loved.

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><p><strong>Jon Rai is a name a made up for the student in 2x17 who says "Be bold and might forces will come to your aid" and inadvertently gets Ezra to meet Aria for that epic kiss in the rain. <strong>


	17. Tempted

**This one's for you AJMcGough, but I'm pretty sure this is not the way you imagined it. I was trying to be creative. I have to think about beastly for a little while. That's a hard one. Thanks for the reviews. They're amazing! Anybody else? Any word challenges? **

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><p>Ezra Fitz was tempted. He was really tempted. The idea appealed to him so much that he was tempted to actually do it. In truth as well as in theory. He was tempted to go to the dance with Aria. She was his girlfriend, and he was her boyfriend. Since they had started dating, he had never been to a school dance as her date. She had never asked. She had known what the answer would be. No.<p>

She knew that the situation was awkward, that they would be stared at all night, and that they were just asking for trouble. She had never asked. Instead she had always gone dateless, except for that one time she went with her brother. Ezra sat on the sofa and looked at the invitation in his hand for Rosewood High's masked ball. Maybe she had left it there on purpose. Ezra took a big gulp of his beer. Probably.

Normally, he wouldn't have thought about it twice. He hadn't even gone to prom with her. Not even long enough to get a picture for her to remember the evening by. But now…Ezra clenched his fist. Now, something was different. It wasn't that there were whispers when he and Aria held hands in front of everyone. It wasn't because of the stares he had gotten every time he had picked her up from school. And it definitely wasn't because of the disapproving looks he received from his former colleagues. No, that wasn't it.

It was because that teenage idiot Noel Khan was spreading rumors about him at Aria at the school. Rumors he wouldn't have known about if Emily hadn't come to see him about them. She said she had caught Aria in the bathroom on the verge of tears. Aria had refused to talk to him about it. But then other rumors had started. Gossip said that Aria and Fitz really didn't have a relationship. That he was using her. That he had made moves on other girls while he worked at Rosewood. That his relationship with Aria was the only reason he had gotten the job at Hollis. That Aria was a slut and he was a spineless pervert. The list went on…

Ezra took another gulp of his beer. He was angry, mostly at himself, but also at those teenage gossipmongers. He wanted them to leave Aria alone by proving that they had feelings, real feelings for each other. Although, there was a nagging feeling in the back of his head that told him it didn't really matter what people thought as long as he and Aria knew it was real. But she had tried to fit into his world. She had gone to the faculty party, made nice with the professors, and had even gotten the dean to laugh. Why shouldn't he be put in the same situation? It was just as awkward and embarrassing.

If he went, all he would have to do was show up, maybe take a picture, and take a couple turns around the dance floor. He wouldn't even have to show his face for most of it. The alternative was to punch Noel in the face. And while Ezra would find massive satisfaction in such an action, he wasn't sure if that was the route to go. He didn't need to be arrested for assaulting a minor.

Ezra was so very tempted to do the one thing he had promised himself he wouldn't do—make himself feel as if he was doing something wrong by dating Aria. He knew showing up at the dance would make him feel like that. But surely the look on her face would make up for it. Maybe he could do this one thing for her. He was so very tempted. He could just imagine the look on Khan's face as Aria walked in with him. Ezra found himself grinning in satisfaction with that mental picture, but then he gave himself a mental shake. He couldn't really go to the dance with Aria—could he?


	18. Beach

**GilmoreGirls945 this one's for you. I hope you like it. I picture them at an American beach maybe in Virginia or the Carolinas, not some tropical island, though. I'm working on making my chapters longer, so please bear with me. Reviews are great. Please keep sending them my way.**

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><p>Aria woke up disorientated. She couldn't remember where she was for a moment. As she sat up in the big bed with white sheets, she could hear the sound of waves crashing in the window behind her and the smell of salt air as it wafted through the open door. As she rubbed the sleep out her eyes she instinctively felt on the right side of the bed for Ezra. The sheets were warm but his body wasn't.<p>

Aria rushed to get some clothes on, throwing on the first thing that came out of the suitcase at the foot of the bed. She threw on a t-shirt and a pair of boxers. She realized, belatedly, that she was going through Ezra's suitcase. She walked around the house silently as if she were looking around for the first time. She saw the big wide windows in the front room, the blue granite in the kitchen, the coral colored tile in the bathroom, and the sand colored wood that ran throughout the house. She still couldn't find Ezra. Aria sighed. Where had he gone too? His silver Camry was still parked in the house's driveway.

She took a moment to look out the windows. They had an amazing view of the beach. The ocean stretched endlessly before her, as if it went on for eternity. Sand dotted the beach in particles that were no doubt as numerous as the stars. It was there on a sand dune that Aria spotted a figure sitting down and watching the waves. She smiled. She would recognize that mop of hair anywhere.

She walked out the back door of the house, the one that had been open by the bedroom, and down the wooden steps. The sand felt cool under her bare feet, and the breeze whipped her hair, tangled mess that it was all over the place. Seagulls circled overhead in gray overcast sky. Ezra continued to stare at the water, not hearing Aria as she came up behind him. She put a hand on his shoulder and sat down next to him.

"It's beautiful," said Aria in awe.

"It seems endless, doesn't it?" asked Ezra.

Aria nodded. She leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. "Good morning," responded Ezra, smiling at her.

"You weren't there when I woke up this morning," Aria pouted.

"I woke up early, and I wanted to let you sleep in," explained Ezra.

Aria smiled wickedly. "We did stay up late last night…" she didn't finish the thought.

Ezra smiled back at her, "Well, it was our wedding night, Mrs. Fitz." Aria snuggled up against him and they were silent for a moment, watching the waves, and enjoying the privacy that their honeymoon spot afforded. Aria admired her ring in a glint of sunlight, and she noticed Ezra was wearing a wedding band on his left hand. It had been a long road, a very long road, but now it was over, and Aria was ready for the rest of their lives.

She frowned a moment. Why couldn't she remember their wedding? She was sure she recalled something about her mother needing an entire box of tissues, her father shedding a tear, Mike stepping on her foot as he danced with her. Spencer had gotten dead drunk; Emily had been flirting with one of Ezra's cousins, and Hanna, had she been wearing a gold dress? Aria shook her head. It didn't matter whether or not she could remember. She and Ezra were married, and on their honeymoon, and this was the beginning of the rest of their lives. She couldn't be happier.

She closed her eyes in content as Ezra grazed his teeth on her neck, and shivered in pleasure when he kissed the soft spot behind her ear. She turned to him, and the look in his eyes mirrored the way she was feeling at the moment. She gave him a full kiss on the mouth, and he responded in kind. She leaned back against the sad until he was on top of her. She took his shirt off and he slid her boxers down from her hips…

"Aria." Aria could hear a voice calling her name. It was almost like God was reaching out from the heavens. "Aria." Someone gave her a gentle shake. "Aria" Aria opened her eyes, and rubbed the sleep from them, yawning, as she glared at the person who had woken her up from her dream. In this case, it had been her boyfriend of two years, Ezra Fitz. Aria blushed for a moment as she realized what kind of dream she had been having, and who she was now talking to. And he was shirtless.

"You're going to be late for school." He said, sitting on the corner of the couch.

She got up, disoriented for a moment, "What time is it?"

"Seven-thirty."

"Crap," she cried jumping off the couch. "I'm going to be so late, and my parents are going to kill me." She started gathering her things from around the apartment.

"Calm down," he said gently. "You fell asleep on the couch last night while we were watching the Notebook. You looked so comfortable that I didn't have the heart to wake you up. I called your mom and told her what happened before I went to bed last night. Just grab something from your drawer, and you'll make to school on time. I'll take you."

Aria stopped in the middle of her frenzy and looked at him. She set what she had grabbed down, and looked at him. "Thank you," she said, giving him a kiss on the mouth.

He smiled at her and said, "I should let you fall asleep on my couch more often."

She smiled, "Maybe you should." She sauntered over and grabbed a few things from her drawer. She looked back at him, "Are you going to join me in the shower?"

He gave her a look, "As nice as your dad has been to me lately, he could still come over here and shoot me if he changes his mind."

She laughed. "Just thought I'd try." She walked into the bathroom, leaving the door cracked.

"Hey Ezra," she called.

"Yes," he called as he poured himself coffee.

She stuck her head out the door, "When was the last time you went to the beach?"

He raised an eyebrow. "The beach? I don't know, since I was a kid."

Aria stuck her head back in the bathroom. "Well, I have an idea."

"What is it?"

She stuck her head out again. "I'll tell you if we ever get married."

The look on Ezra's face was priceless. Aria laughed.


	19. Rain

**Sorry it's been a while. I've been busy: family issues, traveling abroad, more family issues, no internet access...but now I'm back :) I hope you enjoy.**

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><p>Aria watched the rain fall as she looked out the window of Ezra's apartment, her pen absently tapping the notebook in her hands, her mind a thousand miles away. Looking down from the third floor she saw people rush to find cover, and when she saw someone rushed into the passenger's side of a stopped car, she smiled a little to herself. The last time she had gotten caught in the rain it had turned out to be a very nice day indeed.<p>

She sat down on the sofa and wrote down a word on her lined paper. Rain. Then under it she wrote. Uncertainty and passion. Under the word uncertainty she wrote hope and smiles. Under the word passion she wrote warmth and desire. Under hope and smiles she wrote sunshine. Under warmth and desire she wrote love. She could only think of one word to go under sunshine and love. So she wrote it down.

Aria looked at what she had done, and half-smiled. After taking a second to look at the clock on the wall, she started another word diagram. Time. Under time she wrote waiting and age. Under waiting she wrote patience and passing. Under age she put down young and years. Under patience and passing she wrote faith. Under young and years she put Aria. She smiled to herself again. She could only think of one particular word to put under faith and Aria.

As she finished putting the last word under the second diagram she heard the key click in the door and watched as Ezra came in with a brown paper take out bag. He smiled when he saw here and tried to shake out whatever wetness was clinging to him.

"I hope you wanted Chinese," he said.

Aria went up and kissed him, tousling his wet hair in the process. "Chinese is perfect."

She began to help him unpack the food when Ezra spotted the notebook she had left on the coffee table. "What were you working on?"

"Oh that?" Aria glanced at him before focusing on the rice she was pouring into a bowl. "I was doing some word diagrams, trying to come up with some ideas for that creative writing competition."

"Well, whatever you write I'm sure it'll be great. Will you let me read it?"

"Maybe," laughed Aria, "Will you let me read some of your unpublished things?"

"Hmm. You really want to read that short story I've been working on don't you?"

"Of course. It's sort of encompassed your life for the past few days." They looked at each other.

"It's not encompassing me right now."

"No," said Aria slowly, "It's not." She leaned in to kiss him.

"I'm not really hungry right now," said Ezra breathlessly.

"Me neither," replied his girlfriend.

For a while the Chinese and the writing contest were both forgotten as were Aria's word diagrams. It was clear her mind was somewhere else. In the rain diagram the last word she had come up with, under sunshine and love she had written Ezra in her girly scrawl. In her second diagram, under faith and Aria, the word Ezra was also written in bold black ink.


	20. Parents

**Hope you enjoy. I intend to to a chapter for every word on the list you gave me...it just might take a little while. The reviews were wonderful. Thank you!**

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><p>Hanna Marin rolled her eyes after looking at a text she had received from her mom. What was it with moms? Did they not think their daughters were mature adults capable of making their own decisions? She would be at her dad's in time for that dinner he had set up with the wicked stepmother and her evil daughter. What was it with dads, too? Did they deliberately try to ruin their daughters' lives by making them do things they didn't want to do. Hanna would have much rather spent her Friday night snuggling with Caleb on the sofa watching movies, but Caleb was in California visiting his mom, leaving Hanna without a legitimate excuse to miss this dinner.<p>

She sighed, and sipped her coffee. She was sitting alone in the coffee shop with nothing but the current issue of _Vogue_ and blasting music from her iPod to keep her company. She was hoping to catch Emily at work, but it didn't seem like she was in today. Oh, well. Hanna sighed and flipped a page in her magazine. At least the more time she spent at the coffee shop the less time she would have to spend at that witch-woman's house.

The sound of screeching tires caused Hanna's head to pop up and look outside the window that was next to her. She looked out for a moment, admiring the view of Rosewood that the large clear glass afforded her. Rosewood had given her everything and had taken it all back too. They beautiful view wasn't really beautiful at all. Hanna was about to look back down at her magazine when a flash of brown hair caught her eye.

It was Aria and Mr. Fitz. They were walking down the street together, holding hands. They looked so cute together. Hanna felt her heart soften for a moment. The sun was shining and the two of them obviously looked in love. Aria laughed suddenly. Fitz must have said something funny. At the back of her mind Hanna wondered how Aria could look so happy after everything she'd been through. At least when Hanna went home she had her mom to rely on. Aria, Aria had neither of her parents for a while. Talk about lack of support.

Hanna rolled her eyes and rested her hand on her cheek. Parents just didn't get it sometimes. Okay, parents just didn't a lot of the time. Two people who were that much in love deserve to be together. Didn't they? Why couldn't anybody over the age of twenty-five realize that? Hanna stared at her friend and her friend's boyfriend until they walked past the shop. Parents. Hanna started to think about her own problems. Parents just didn't get it, did they?


	21. children

**I finally updated. It light of what is going on in the PLL series (which I do not own), I felt this scene was appropriate. As usual, this is probable not what you expected with this word.**

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><p>Ella Montgomery stiffly sipped her tea and consciously adjusted her sweater. It was a beautiful fall day, a rare one where she didn't have to grade papers or cook dinner or drive Mike to doctor's sessions or lacrosse practice. She should have been sitting at home snuggling up with her favorite blanket and the novel she was reading. She should have been having coffee at the local coffee shop catching up with Ashley Marin. Instead, Ella had ended up in apartment 3B trying to mend her friendship with a man who, if he played his cards right, could end up as her future son-in-law. He sat across from her in the small living space running his fingers through his hair and talking about the merits of Harper Lee and her writing.<p>

Ella shifted in her seat and looked at the small table nestled between Ezra and his far wall. The lamp was contemporary and generic, the clock looked battered and worn, and the table itself had been created out of aged and faded wood. But it was the picture in the black plastic frame that caught her attention. It was a little boy with curly brown hair smiling at the camera.

"Ella?" asked Ezra "Are you okay?"

Ella caught herself and nodded her head. "I'm fine," she returned putting down her tea.

"Is something the matter? You don't look like you came here to listen to me rave about the works of America's greatest writer's."

"To be honest," Ella started. "I'm not sure why I came. Curiosity I suppose."

"Curiosity?" Ezra echoed raising an eyebrow. "You've been here before."

"I have," she agreed. "But that was before I really understood what was going on with Aria. That's you isn't it?" she asked motioning with her head to the picture on the side table.

"Oh, that?" said Ezra turning around to look. "Yeah, that's me. It was on a summer trip my parents took me and my brother camping. I was eleven. It was right before they told us about the divorce," he added thoughtfully.

"Everybody was a child once," said Ella wistfully. "I remember when Aria was in the third grade. She came home from school one day and insisted she was she would never grow up. But she grew up anyway, didn't she?"

Ezra was silent for a moment, sure that her question hadn't required an answer. "She has grown up to be a beautiful woman."

"Her father thinks she is still a child," replied Ella, "and so does the law, and even, to an extent, society does as well."

"What do you think?" asked Ezra tentatively, almost afraid of hearing the answer aloud.

"She is not a little girl anymore," said Ella swiftly.

"Far from it," replied Ezra, sighing.

"But she is still a child," Ella finished. Ezra was silent. "She is still my child. But everyone is someone's child," she reasoned. She paused a moment. "We are all children," she finished with a breathless laugh. "Aren't we?" And as the conversation between the people in apartment 3B in Rosewood, Pennsylvania steered from literature to philosophy to childhood stories, Ella Montgomery talked about the lives of her children and her role as a mother and began to renew her friendship with a man that she realized she did not know at all.


	22. Marriage

**Sorry it's been so long. My heart hasn't been with the story because I'm not a big fan of the whole Ezria season 3 plot. I've decided that my world is a version of season 2 where Ezra still works at Hollis, Maggie doesn't exist, and Byron and Ella are still together.**

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><p>Aria Montgomery sighed as she received a text from her brother telling her to take her time getting home. Her parents were fighting again. She rearranged herself on Ezra's couch and got up to get a glass of water from the kitchen area.<p>

"Everything okay?" he asked, pausing the video.

"My parents are fighting again," she replied after drinking a large gulp of water.

Ezra frowned. "I thought that they had stopped arguing a while ago."

Aria put her glass in the sink before going back to the couch. "They did, but now they're quarrelling about something else. Last week it as about laundry. This week it could be about anything." She snuggled next to him and put her arms around his waist, burying her head in his stomach.

"You don't think it's about us, do you?" he questioned, an expression of worry starting to take over his face.

"No, I don't," responded Aria confidently, looking up at him. "I'm sure about that." She gave him a quick peck on the lips before sliding her head down to its previous position.

"You're sure? You know, you're dad is still not my biggest fan."

"Yeah. Mike would have told me. Besides, they haven't had any fights like that about anything heavy like that lately. Dad's probably upset that Mom didn't make dinner or Mom's upset that Dad stayed at work late and forgot to tell her. They're married. Things like that happen. It's a good thing. I'd rather them be arguing and talking to each other than not talking at all."

"I suppose so," responded Ezra, and Aria could feel the stiffness in his shoulders begin to relax. "The last time my parents argued it ended in a divorce."

Aria flipped her head over so that it was on his lap. She looked at his face as it loomed before hers and studied it quietly in the half-light of the room. She traced one of his eyebrows with her fingers and his hand grabbed her extended one. He brought it up to his is mouth and started trailing kisses all along its length. She smiled and closed her eyes. When his mouth reached hers, however, she put a finger to his lips and stopped him.

"Promise me something," she said quietly, her hazel eyes serious, gleaming with knowledge and truth and, Ezra could see, a little bit of hope.

"Anything," he responded breathlessly.

"Promise me that our marriage won't be characterized by fighting and arguing. Promise me that our marriage will be good and strong and whole. Promise me that our marriage will have two partners and our children will always have two parents living in the same home." She studied his face for a moment, only a few inches from hers and she saw the answer in his expression.

"I promise to you, Aria Montgomery, that our marriage will endure a lifetime, that our children will know a happy home, and that we will disagree once in a while." She opened her mouth to say something, and he shook his head. "I'm not finished yet. Sometimes we will disagree because it's human nature to do so. But I promise above all else that our marriage will be characterized by the love we have for each other." And he sealed that promise with a kiss.

The movie was long forgotten, the take-out food grew cold on the coffee table, and Aria's phone lay forgotten on the table. There was only them, and that was all that mattered.


	23. Bed

**This one is a lot different from the other one-shots I've written. It's the more creative side of me or maybe it's the English major side of me coming out. Anyway, I hope you like it. Please review. I appreciate your comments. **

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><p>Byron Montgomery sat on the edge of his bed next to his wife and studied her in the early morning light as she slept, unaware of his musings. She was on her stomach and she faced him, her arms sprawled over the pillow. He smiled to himself. She was as beautiful today as she had been twenty years ago, the morning after their wedding.<p>

He remembered that morning. It was a lot like this morning. They were staying at a moderately expensive hotel in Philadelphia. They hadn't had a lot of money then. She was working at an art gallery and he had just graduated from graduate school. Byron remembered cool white sheets, sage green walls, and large windows that gave magnificent views of the street down below. She had fallen asleep much in the same way as she had last night, and was blissfully unaware of the turmoil and strife in the world. And the trouble in their marriage.

Bryon frowned. How had they strayed so far from that morning in the Philadelphia? How could he have forgotten that big white bed with its cotton sheets and Ella as she was wrapped up in them? Why had they strayed so far from that, letting anger and hurt come between them? Now, twenty years later, he remembered the vows he took to love and cherish and honor. It had taken half a lifetime to understand the weight and importance of those words. He brushed a stray hair out of Ella's face and she moaned softly in her sleep. Dreaming sweet dreams he hoped.

Byron rose quietly from the bed and continued his morning routine, glancing at his sleeping wife in his peripheral vision and looking at her reflection in the mirror. She was beautiful and passionate and caring. She was strong. And she was a survivor. Only Ella could have endured the trials and the tribulations that had taken over their lives in the past year. Only Ella could uproot and move with him to Iceland, understanding that he needed a change. Only Ella could have given him to beautiful, independent, headstrong, and stubborn children. Only Ella could have been his wife.

He loved her and he loved the children she had given them. He saw her in them. He saw her goodness and courage and her ability to love unconditionally. He saw it all. Sometimes he saw it when it was too late.

He sat on the edge of the bed again and contemplated the choices he had made in his life for the past twenty years. There were many decisions he regretted, but he did not regret the decision he had made in the small church all those years ago, and he did not regret the decision he had made on his wedding night in that big white bed all those years ago—to watch over her even when he didn't deserve that privilege.

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><p>Ezra Fitz shifted in his bed as he looked at the girl—no, the woman—who was wrapped in his arms, and he knew that she loved him unconditionally. And he knew that he loved her enough to walk away from the life he had planned for himself. He would do again, a million times and a million times over. He rubbed the white skin of her arm, softly, gently, with the palm of his hand. How many times had he dreamed of this very scenario? How many times had he thought of it standing in front of that old classroom with its dusty chalkboard? For a long time now, many of his thoughts had been directed towards her, about her. He wanted to keep her safe.<p>

Ezra wanted to shield her from the world, to watch over her, and care for her. He wanted to protect her. There was trouble in the world and ugliness and hopelessness. He wanted to hide her away and escape from the gossip and the rumors and lewd talk. But he couldn't do that. To do that would be to take away from who she was, and he wouldn't change a hair on her head.

Ezra couldn't describe Aria in one word. But if he were allowed several of them, the words strong, independent, and passionate would definitely be among them. And loving, for Aria loved fiercely and hoped eternally. Even when the odds were stacked against them, she still hoped and expected the best. That's why he loved her.

He loved her because of who she was and what she believed. He loved her because she loved him. He wrapped his arms around her once more, feeling her warmth course through his body. She shifted in her sleep, and her head ended up on his shoulder. In the early morning light, Ezra could see that she smiled in her sleep. He hoped that she was dreaming good dreams. He also hoped that she felt safe and secure.

Somehow, in the early morning stillness, he felt that this was only the beginning. There would be years ahead of them, more morning like this one, curled up together in bed, under cotton sheets and comforters. He pictured them, warm summer mornings, cool winter ones, and the ones where they could smell the beginning of spring. Yes, it was only the beginning.

And looking at her, sleeping soundly, Ezra made a promise to himself. He would watch over her and care for her always. Even when she thought she didn't need him. Because he loved her, and he would always love her. He moved his head so that he could smell her hair, and he breathed in the scent of her. This was where he was supposed to be—in bed with the woman he loved.


	24. Gray

**Sorry it's been so long. I found this on my computer half-finished so I thought I would complete and publish it for you. Please review. I appreciate all your feedback. Remember, I do not own PLL.**

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><p>"Love, though said to be afflicted with blindness, is a vigilant watchman…" read Ezra from Dickens' <em>Our Mutual Friend. <em>Aria smiled, her head in Ezra's lap, the grass beneath her and the cloudy sky above her. They were sitting in the park in Rosewood, Ezra's back against a shady tree. Twenty feet away people walked in front of them, too busy with their daily lives to stop and stare.

"Do you think love is blind?" she asked her boyfriend. Ezra lowered the book and looked down at her.

"If love weren't blind then I never would have met you."

"Are you saying that you only talked to me in that bar because you like the way I look?" questioned Aria.

"No, but I would have been an idiot not to talk to a pretty girl like you."

"So you are saying that you talked to me that day because you thought I looked nice."

"No," insisted Ezra. "I'm…ugh. I'm making a mess of things. I meant that love must be blind because if it weren't we wouldn't be where we are today. You would have been my student and I would have respected that distance between us."

"So love is blind," sighed Aria.

"What do you think?" asked Ezra, settling the book on the ground beside him. "Do you think love is blind?"

"Maybe. How else do you explain us? My mom thinks that about us anyway. Otherwise she would have no explanation for what's between us."

"So you think that's what it means?"

"Well, what about that second part of what Dickens said? Love 'is a vigilant watchman.' Does that mean we always look for someone to fall in love with? Or that we look out for the people we love?"

"Maybe he means that love is always with us and we become protective of those we care for. Like best friends watching out for each other, or parents caring for their children," Ezra responded, subconsciously stroking her sun-kissed arm.

"Could be," Aria agreed. "My dad has certainly been _protective_ of me lately."

"I think he's always been protective of you. I just think that you're starting to realize it."

Aria pushed her hair from her face in an agitated motion. "What about his affair with Meredith? He was hurting our family."

"Love is blind, or in this case lust was blind. But can we talk about us?" he looked down on her with pleading in his eyes.

Aria took a deep breath before kissing his hand. "Sure. I promised no parents. No friends. It's just us today sitting in the park."

"Are you sure you're comfortable with this? Being here?" he nodded to the green area that surrounded them.

"Ezra," began an exasperated Aria, "I told you at the apartment that I was fine with this. Who cares what other people think. It's just me, you, and Dickens, right?"

"You're right," he said bending down to kiss her forehead.

"Are you comfortable with this?" she asked as picked the book back up.

"Aria why would you ask that," he questioned gently. "We've been out in public before. We even went to that work thing at the art gallery together."

"Yes, but you knew what people could be there. Anyone could just stumble upon us here, like this."

"Aria I love you. Who cares what the rest of the world thinks?"

"Who does indeed?" Aria asked herself softly as she settled her head into Ezra's lap, listening to the sound of his voice as he read the words on the page. The black and white page. Maybe love was easiest explained in books where there was no grey.


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